Friday, April 29, 2011

Starting May 1, Bistro One West will keep its doors open for the first Sunday ever, making Bistro One West the ideal west suburban spot to celebrate Mother’s Day! Celebrate the day overlooking the beautiful Fox River on the Bistro One West deck. Enjoy from a delicious menu blend of all things special at Bistro One West including appetizers, entrées and desserts.

Celebrate your Mom this Mother’s Day with treats and delights from Chicago French Market. Choose from a variety of vendors and their exceptional specials to make your Mom feel like a queen.

Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wineis happy to present their Mother’s Day gift box! Their gift for Mom features some of their most cherished products from local producers and a sparkling Rose from France. Mom will be delighted with a Wabash Cannonball,a Farmstead Goat’s Milk Cheese from Capriole Farms in Greenville, Indiana; Quince and Apple brand fruit spread, a small batch preserved from Madison, Wisconsin; Potter’s Crackers, an artisan line of crackers from Madison, Wisconsin;Sweet Margy’s Handmade Toffee, made right here in Chicago; and abeautiful Veuve de Vernay Rose, a sparkling Tempranillo from Bordeaux, France. This Artisan Gift Box is $39.99 and will be available online for local delivery or shipping across the continental US, and can also be picked up at one of their three locations.

Pastoral Artisan is also offering a cross promotion with SpaSpace (161 N. Canal St., (312) 466-9585). Treat your Mother to something special. Let Pastoral cater your spa experience at SpaSpace and receive 10% off both your catering and your spa package. Must mention special when booking. Not valid with Spa Finder Certificates or any other offer. Not valid for gift certificate purchases. Offer valid 5/1/11 to 5/31/11. Call (312) 454-9644 or visit www.pastoralartisan.com for more information.

Delightful Pastrieswill be featuring an array of natural, local and sustainable grown ingredients in a vast Mother’s Day Menu. Choose from gluten free desserts, mini pastries, beautiful mixed berry torte’s and savory quiches, Frittata’s, and Beet and Orange Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette, just to name a few. Call (312) 234-9644 or visit www.delightfulpastries.com for more information.

Abbey Brown Soap Artisan’s Spring Special is running now through May 9. Step into spring with handmade products by WomanCraft, an organization providing employment for women regaining their independence. Special items include olive oil soaps wrapped in handmade paper in refreshing scents including Lavender, Jasmine Blossom and Rosebuds; recycled cards and note card sets, made from office paper and perished flowers, handmade and available in a variety of colors; and seed card packs, see your handwritten notes become wildflowers when buried, watered and cared for! Call (312) 738-2290 or visit www.abbeybrown.com for more information.

Mother’s Day Brunch May 8 –Fleming’s will open early at 11:30 am on Mother’s Day and offer a 3-course Brunch Menu until 3 pm, in addition to their regular menu. The Brunch Menu will be offered for $32.95 per person, and a Children’s Brunch Menu will also be available for $15.95. A specialty 99 calorie cocktail, the Tickled Pink, will also be available all day for $6.95. And to make the day even more special, every mother who celebrates at Fleming’son Mother’s Day will receive a $25 Fleming’s Dining Card* to use for a future evening out. Reservations are now available and can be made online.

Prairie Grass Cafe is offering a special Mother’s Day prix fix brunch menu 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, May 8 for bother adult and children. Select from the buffet and dessert buffet for $42 per adult and $15 per child (10 and under); tax, gratuity and beverage are not included.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

New seared scallops entrée and reinvented shrimp cocktail now on the menu

Never content to rest on their culinary laurels, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar has introduced two new entrée salads, while reinventing the classic shrimp cocktail and lightening and brightening their scallop offering. New menu items are available at Fleming's two Chicago-area locations, 25 E. Ohio St., 312-329-9463 and Lincolnshire, 960 Milwaukee Ave., 847-793-0333.

After months of research, experimentation, numerous tasting sessions, and dozens of recipe refinements, Executive Chef Russell Skall and his team have perfected the new Steakhouse Cobb Salad entrée and Seared New Bedford Scallops entrée, and Shrimp Cocktail appetizer. Fleming’s Steakhouse Cobb has ditched the classic chicken and offers guests the choice of sweet, succulent Maine lobster or tender filet mignon. Both salads, presented and tossed tableside, include freshly chopped romaine, blue cheese, crisp bacon, tomato, and avocado; the additions of fresh sliced white mushrooms and asparagus elevate Fleming’s interpretation of the popular salad. The Steakhouse Lobster Cobb is tossed with tarragon ranch dressing; the sliced Filet Mignon version is paired with a signature red onion balsamic dressing.

Seared New Bedford Scallops, with four to five large scallops in the entrée, showcases the delicate flavor and texture of the shellfish, with an emphasis on the fresh, clean taste of the sea. Lightly seasoned with a spice blend to enhance their flavor, the scallops are quickly seared, locking in the sweet juices, and then finished with a simple Meyer lemon oil-honey glaze. The fresh, light theme is carried out in an edible garish of shaved young vegetables of green beans, asparagus and baby carrots in lemon balsamic dressing. The tender scallops, paired with a crisp white wine, make for a perfect summer selection.

Fleming’s Shrimp Cocktail has been recreated with drama and luxe in mind. Three colossal fresh shrimp are presented on a bed of crushed ice. The appetizer is served tableside, with the signature tomato horseradish sauce in a silver shaker. A shot of Grey Goose vodka is added and shaken vigorously. “We found the vodka notes actually mellows out the assertive flavor of the horseradish,” Chef Russell Skall noted. “It’s a fun, contemporary play on a classic.”

For many Chicagoans, Cinco de Mayo is a great opportunity to enjoy special renditions of traditional Mexican dishes. Chef/Owner Margarita Challenger, born and raised in the state of Guanajuato, is celebrating her heritage by featuring a number of Cinco de Mayo specials including a Tropical Guacamole Basket, a wonderful mix of avocado, jicama, radishes, cucumber, jalapeno, cilantro and red onions, served on a flour tortilla basket with flour tortilla chips; and from the Mexican countryside of Puebla, Bistek Ranchero, a delicious steak stew cooked slowly in a tomato sauce with garlic, onions and potatoes, served with drunken beans and Mexican rice.

Mexican celebrations wouldn’t be complete without tequila and Guanajuato offers guests a selection of more than 40 tequilas including blanco, reposado, añejo and some extra special selections. Most of the tequilas are priced at $7-$9 per shot, but the best tequilas, which can be compared in quality to fine aged cognac, are priced from $15.50 to $71. These special tequilas are served in a snifter to bring out the best of the magnificent bouquet and can be savored by the shot or as an ingredient in a creative selection of specialty cocktails and margaritas.

Honoring their love of tequila, Guanajuato offers patrons a number of cocktails and margaritas including a Tamarind Margarita, a unique sweet and sour flavor with a hint of chili pepper spice, and their infamous Acai Margarita, made from acai, fresh lime juice, pomegranate juice, tequila, simple syrup and Citronge.

So make your own mini maracas, don your widest brimmed sombrero and cha cha your way to Guanajuato. With chef/owner Margarita Challenger hailing from Dolores Hidalgo, Mexico, Guanajuato offers patrons authentic and delicious options for Cinco de Mayo and everyday!

About Guanajuato

Guanajuato is a contemporary Mexican restaurant located at 73 Green Bay Rd. in Glencoe, Ill. The restaurant and bar is open for lunch and dinner 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days per week. For more information or to make a reservation, contact Guanajuato at (847) 242-0909 or online at www.myguanajuato.com.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Don't miss the First Annual Artisan Producer Festival 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 30 at the Chicago French Market ( 131 N. Clinton St. , Chicago ; (312) 575-0306). The no-cost event offers the chance to meet more than 35 featured culinary artisans, sample products and celebrate small batch foods, beers and wine.

Event organizer Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine has put together an incredible lineup of more than 35 producers, featuring more than 12 cheese makers including:

Prairie Fruits Farm- Illinois

Zingerman's Creamery- Michigan

Jasper Hill Farm- Vermont

Vermont Creamery- Vermont

Visit with a variety of artisans who produce distinctive sweet and savory accompaniments including:

Seedling Farms- Michigan

Ames Honey- Minnesota

Potter's Organic Margy Crackers-Wisconsin

Bennison's Bakery-Wisconsin

Quince & Apple Handmade Preserves- Wisconsin

Half Acre Beer Company- Chicago

Goose Island Brewery- Chicago

SalumeriaBieillese- New York

Sourpuss Pickles- New York

Local Chicago Favorites:

DAS Caramelini

Sweet Margy Confections

Bennison's Bakery

Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine also is excited to introduce Sour Puss Pickles, a line of small batch pickled vegetables from Brooklyn, N.Y. Sour Puss Pickles works directly with local farms in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania to guarantee the quality and freshness of the raw ingredient used in their pickles. Product line includes ginger carrots, mustard tarragon asparagus and peppered okra for $12 per 16 ounce jar.

Here's your chance to learn how to cure meats. Chicago French Market's Fumare Meats is featuring Randy Ream from Elburn meats, who will talk about curing, smoking and cooking meat.

Canday Le Chocolatier is demonstrating the art of chocolate making and Saigon Sisters is demonstrating how to make spring rolls.

The cost for brunch is $39 per guest and $19 per child age 10 and under (excluding tax and gratuity). The menu includes Pan-roasted Diver Scallop over braised beef short rib with a tarragon-scented spätzle ragoût; Sliced House-cured Smoked Salmon on warm potato cake with chive and lemongrass crème frâiche; Caramelized Onion and Bacon "Tarte Flambé"; Early Spring Pea Soup with snow pea and fresh Maryland crab; or Tossed Baby Greens dressed with choice of honey truffle or champagne herb vinaigrette.

For a second course choose from French Rolled Omelet with a choice of smoked salmon, chives tomato, grilled red onion and manchego cheese, served with bacon, potato cake and warm toasted brioche; Traditional Eggs Benedict with hollandaise sauce and thin asparagus spears; Roasted Chateaubriand of Beef Tenderloin with potato gratin and sauce perigord; Roasted Rack of Baby New Zealand Lamb and truffle-scented potato croquettes over ragout of candied fig, brussels sprouts and exotic mushrooms; or Maine Lobster and Exotic Mushroom Risotto with crispy fried leeks and grilled asparagus tips.

Join Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar (in Chicago and Lincolnshire) for a three-course prix fixe Easter brunch 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, April 24 for $32.95 (excluding tax and gratuity). Fleming's is featuring a special menu to include a choice of appetizer, entrée and dessert. The regular menu also is available. Dinner service begins at 3 p.m.

Be sure to order the Easter brunch specialty cocktail, Fleming's Bellini made with mionetto prosecco, peach schnapps and peach puree, garnished with a lemon twist for $6.95 (excluding tax and gratuity).

The children (age 12 and under) can also enjoy a holiday brunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. including a starter, choice of entrée, choice of beverage and dessert for $15.95 (excluding tax and gratuity). The starter is Fresh Fruit Salad with berries, melon, pineapple, sour cream and honey sauce.

Choice of entrée includes Half Order Berry Stuffed French Toast served with one sausage link or two slices of bacon; or Two Eggs and Cheese Omelet served with one sausage link or two slices of bacon. Choice of beverage includes 2 percent milk, soft drink or juice. Choice of dessert includes a Hot Fudge Sundae or Fresh Fruit Sherbet.

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